Family Affairs!
by BlessingNinjaPirate
Summary: A lot of complications revolving around Naruto's life. Secrets, Lies, Hurt and Pain. Modern setting! SasuxNaru!


_**Disclaimer:**__ Alas, I ran out of bail money so I cannot afford to steal the characters anymore and land in jail. Damn... If only M. Kishimoto stopped sueing me... *Sigh*_

_**Warning:**__ Yeah, that's right another GAY, YAOI story! All you homophobes wanting to hate, your flames fuel the FURY I need to keep writing YAOI so yeah, you have been warned, leave if you DON'T like.  
Uncertain about rating, could be T bordering on M or just plainly T. Not sure so yeah, be crytical and tell me if it needs changing! [=_

_Abuse and stuff like that. Characters might be slightly OOC but I think it works in this story so please judge critically but spare my feelings! ^^_

_(A/N: I know Naruto's mom isn't Kushin__o__, but there's a purpose so just be patient and wait till the end okay? Thanks a million for reading. Hope it's an acceptable piece of work. I poured my heart into it... sort of! ^^; )_

_Italics: flashback or emphasis on a word! ^^  
_'Thought'

* * *

**Family Affairs**

A seventeen years old boy walked steadily towards his house after a tiring day at Konoha Academy, the snow falling continuously around him causing his unruly blond hair to flutter soundlessly across his vision. With every step, he heard the crunching sound of the cold, pure, whiteness cracking underneath his worn sneakers. Walking down the deserted street, the teen hugged his oversize jacket tightly around himself, grateful for the warmth the tattered piece of clothing provided. As the blond continued his medium-paced movements towards the place he called home, his mind drifted to the woman occupying the otherwise empty house. He couldn't help but feel slightly frightened as he thought about the mentally sick woman and what she'd do knowing he was already twenty minutes late. Fearing the consequences of the snowy storm, the student quickened his steps, sprinting the last few meters which led to their rundown apartment.

Arriving at the house in record time, he calmed his rigid breathing from running in order to relax his physical appearance. Putting his copy of the house-key into the slot, he slowly and consciously twisted the sprayed golden knob and waited for the squeaking to stop before silently creeping into the house. The academy student looked around the living room, thanking the gods when he didn't see his mother waiting for him on the couch like she always did. He hoped that this time she had fallen asleep while anticipating his return from school and would forget in the morning due to her vast consumptions of liquor. Taking of his soaking wet and slightly frozen sneakers and coat, he made his way to the safest place in the house. His bedroom…

The teen was preparing to drop his bag on the floor and get out his sketch book when a loud snort stopped him dead in his tracks. He cursed mentally, she had never actually waited in his bedroom before, he must have been in some real deep shit now though he secretly couldn't help but wish that the woman had come to apologize for her behaviour over the past few years. His fantasy of a sleeping mother and a safe haven was short lived and he unconsciously backed himself towards the wall.

"What time do you call this you bastard child?" A woman with crimson hair and equally red eyes slowly stalked towards her son, a menacing look on her otherwise beautiful features. The boy shuffled backwards, avoiding eye contact with his mother. He stopped and stared at her with much calmer features than his interior was agreeing to as he vaguely realised that he'd trapped himself against the wall like a captive animal.

"Um, mom, calm down. I'm here now. It was just the snow; I had to wait in school for the sky to clear even if only for a little bit because it would have been dangerous walking home in the blizzard an hour ago." The blond knew deep down, his mom wouldn't have cared if he died and disappeared off the face of the earth. He liked to keep a facade inside his head where he found comfort in believing the woman sincerely worried about him; so in his opinion, his mom didn't need to know that he had indeed been walking in the treacherous weather. With the intimidating gaze she had fixed him with, he found it hard to believe but none the less still hoped his mother would find it in her heart to forgive him just this one time. He had made sure to come home when he was expected everyday for the past four years.

His hopeful demeanour shattered before him as the woman backhanded him on his scarred cheeks causing his head to crash painfully into the concrete wall. Feeling the throbbing ache that exploded throughout his skull, the blonde brought his hand to rub the sore spot grimacing at his crimson substance that tainted his beautifully tanned hand. As he slumped heavily to the ground, she went down with him, kneeling down so they were face to face. She traced a thin, slender thumb across the three identical scars running down his cheeks. Memories of times that he'd wished over and over to forget continued to plague his mind as she continued stroking the sacred scars. Though he would never show any form of emotion or affection towards the woman he called 'mom', he felt he deserved the pain that accompanied the tortures she's made him endure, tortures of that day when she inflicted scars on his perfectly tanned cheeks with the kitchen knife, never once wavering in her decision to bring him pain.

"Your father would never have come late, not even with a hurricane. You just had to take him away from me you selfish, bastard child!" Her voice had increased in volume to the point she was shouting her lungs out and slapping the defenseless boy multiple times across his burning cheeks; her anger lashing out as her already menacing eyes narrowed into slits while she continued to claw at the unfortunate, motionless teenager staring heart-brokenly at her. Not a sound was heard from the teen as he was roughly pulled by his long, untamed golden strands. He allowed his mom to do as she pleased with him for it was his fault his father wasn't there to comfort her anymore.

"_Oto-san!" An older replica of the younger boy pretended to be asleep as his twelve year old son bounced excitedly on his back. The boy scowled unsuccessfully using small, tan fingers to poke at his father's sides._

"_Oto-san, you promised! I know you're not sleeping. You pretended to be asleep that time when okaa-san wanted you to go dancing with her!" He continued his mean streaks of jabbing until his carefree father let out a soft sigh and flipped their positions, tickling his son's abused pits and sides until he said 'Uncle!' The man hesitantly got up ruffling the boy's hair before pulling said angelic boy into his arms. He flashed his clone one of his trademark grins and was rewarded with one of his own when the boy smiled back. _

"_Naruto, you know there's a blizzard outside right? It could be dangerous if we drove out at a time like this!" The man said sternly but could feel himself caving at the pout and puppy dog eyes he received from his son._

_A young Naruto cheered with excitement as his dad sighed once more._

"_Haha papa, you said no one could resist the famous 'Uzumaki puppy-dog eyes.'" The older man grunted at the statement smacking his son over the head in a defeated gesture._

"_You listen when you can use the learnt information against your old man." He said this smiling as he walked into the bedroom trying to find his car keys._

_:: ::_

_A large tree was pulled from its roots due to the force of the raging wind and landed in the path of the travelling automobile. The car swerved dangerously on the slippery road. Naruto gripped tightly to his seat as he stared in front of him towards his father who was desperately trying to gain control over the vehicle._

"_Fasten your seatbelt Naruto. Make sure you stay steady!" The scared child heard his father snap at him in a tone he'd never used on him before as the man tried to make a sharp U-turn. Fear consumed his small body as he regretted not listening to his father when the man had said the weather was unsuitable for driving. He felt his heart pound mercilessly against his chest when he saw flashing headlights right in front of him._

"_Oto-san! Look out!" But it was too late, the wood truck smashed right into their silver family car. The metallic vehicle slid down the road flipping itself twice before it violently crashed on its roof against a neighbouring tree. Naruto looked half- consciously around the car. He didn't have any strength to loosen his seatbelt and check for the wellbeing of his father. He felt a cold substance running down his temple and vaguely realised that the black dots swimming in front of his vision seemed to multiply with each harsh, unfocussed blink. As he calmed his irregular breathing, the blonde boy heard the sirens of an approaching ambulance in the distance before his mind went numb and he let the darkness consume him as he drifted into a state of unconsciousness; not before silently weeping for his 'oto-san' to be alright. He made a mental promise to himself, never to ask for anything again in his life. Seeing his father wounded wasn't worth any game consult or ninja costume in the world._

_:: ::_

_When he woke up, bright lights shrouded his vision and he managed a weak gasp until someone walked towards his hospital bed. He looked around nervously asking for his 'Oto-san.' The doctor shook her head solemnly and looked outside the door, Naruto's gaze carefully following her own. His bright cerulean eyes landed on his hysterical mother who was crying and screaming at the doctor talking to her._

"_Where's oto-san?" He asked the doctor again even though he couldn't tear his vision from the frantic woman tearing and clawing at her own blood red hair. Precisely that moment, said woman burst into the door screaming down her throat at the boy still occupying the hospital bed._

"_It's you fault, you bastard child. You just had to be selfish and take him away from me! You and that woma!" Like all her energy had suddenly drained from her body after the dramatic outburst, the frenzied woman dropped to the floor hugging her small frame against herself as she sobbed uncontrollably repeating "This is entirely your fault, you bastard child" over and over again "You and that evil woman!"_

_Guilt washed over the blonde's little body as he looked away from his mother's accusing gaze letting the warm liquids spill out of his dazzling azure eyes. _

"_It's not your fault Naruto; we couldn't do anything for your dad. He'd lost too much blood by the time we arrived. It's a miracle you even survived." The boy just nodded his head as the tears continued to flow down his perfectly unscarred, tan cheeks which looked slightly paler than normal._

He closed his eyes, tightening the lids as he continued to receive the beatings from his abusive mother. Not a single sound escaped his lips as he recieved her daily anger and frustration; burrying the hurt and pain underneath the underneath; shutting his mind to them.

After what felt like eternity, the woman finally calmed down, her movements slow and disoriented as she stalked out of the room. The menacing look in her eyes dissipated causing her to fall from the grace of a raging lioness till she looked like another grieving widow. The facial expression hurt Naruto more than the beatings for his mind always drifted to that fateful afternoon when he lost not only his father but whatever love his mother still held for him (A/N which wasn't much to begin with). Pulling the green blanket over himself, with many protests from his body, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, his mind being hunted by the accusing gaze his mother had given him in the hospital four years ago and sometimes, often enough, still gave him now.

_**:: ::**_

The blond awoke grunting as he put pressure on the bruises that had surfaced all over his lithe body. Sighing and rubbing his temple, he walked into the shower allowing his aching muscles to relax underneath the soothing warm water. Wrapping a white towel around his feminine waist, he stood before the mirror observing the dark purple bruises that littered his sun kissed body. The blond dreaded thinking about how he was going to explain those to the school nurse. Today was after all, physical check-up day. Naruto for the second time in his life; cursed his luck.

* * *

"Hey guys, any of you know where Ino is today?" Sakura asked, her glossy pink hair dancing around as she snapped her head to confront her friends individually. She recieved a negative nod from the rest of the group and sighed helplessly until Chouji spoke up inbetween munches of his potatoe chips.

"She's with Hinata in the library, helping her with inspirations for her new story and stuff like that." The pinkette sighed. She wished Hinata success, the girl would become a great author someday but she couldn't stop herself from wishing they could take sometime off and come chill like the used to before everyone got their own thing. Forgetting her distress on her missing friends, she turned her attention to the two only silent teens in the group (Shikamaru is always quiet).

"Hey Sasuke, Naruto, are you two coming to my party next week?" She stared at her distracted friends questioningly as she waited for their replies.

"Hn" was Sasuke's curt reply. The raven haired student known as Sasuke was Naruto's best friend and also happened to be the second and youngest heir to the richest family in all of Japan. Sasuke's father Fugaku is the head of Konoha P.D. and his older brother Itachi owns a thriving filming company called 'Akatsuki' which produces seventy-two percent of Japans best movies across the world. His mother is one of the most famous Japanese fashion designers, creating outfits varying for kimonos to geisha-style clothing and even European and American casual wear.

"Naruto, what about you?" Sakura pressed on because the blonde had yet to answer her question.

"Naruto?" She raised her voice in volume snapping the blonde out of his dreamlike state.

"What? I swear ten more minutes and I'll get out of bed." Laughter erupted throughout the room causing the blond to turn a nice shade of red as the grogginess of sleep wore off and his friend Kiba nicely pointed out the trail of saliva that was sliding down his chin.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't sleep in my class Uzumaki Naruto!" Came the teacher's gruff voice from the front of the spacious room. Naruto figured the man was reading his usual 'Icha Icha Paradise' book which distracted him for doing his job as a high school teacher for he hadn't noticed that he had fallen asleep in the first place. Not having the strength or motivation to argue with the man, he slumped back into his desk, face in hands, muttering a "Sorry, Kakashi-sensei" as he did so.

"What's up with you Naruto, it's like your head is like on completely another planet or something." A boy with shaggy brown hair threw a paper ball at his friend's head, successfully landing a perfect hit on the blonde's temple.

"Yeah Naruto, though I seriously question Kiba's grammar, there's definitely something up with you today." Neji added to Kiba's statement but couldn't help but send a look of repulsion at the brunette for his choice in language and grammar.

"Damn troublesome." A guy with a high ponytail which made him look like a pineapple repeated after momentarily lifting his head from the table. He was the person Naruto liked to call a 'lazy genius' for no one in the school could get a 99.8 percentage average in geometry without paying attention to the teacher or being awake for that matter. Neji had stated "If he didn't spend so much time sleeping, maybe he could have been on a perfect percentage average!" Naruto saw otherwise though and was thoroughly proud of his friend. The blonde realised he was spacing out again when a mean jab tore his attention back to his friends.

"Will you guys just leave me alone please; I'm mentally preparing myself for the physical health check." Naruto whispered to his friends. He didn't want them to be worried about him, he hated the day Kiba accidentally went into his shower stall to pull a prank on him only to reveal his body bruised and battered. He had tried lying but in the end, his friends had managed to glare and threaten the truth out of him which in turn always made them paranoid every time he looked even slightly upset.

"Dude, no one cares about the size of your penis, chances are we won't even get to see it so don't worry; no one will laugh just because mine is bigger and thicker than yours. You see Neji, I can assemble a perfectly understandable sentence with exceptionally good grammar; I just choose to talk like those American Phrat Boys. You know you think it's sexy." Kiba grinned like a madman as he continued to gloat about how big his penis was in comparison to the blonds'.

"It's 'speak' like those American Phrat Boys." The brunette with much longer hair corrected as he shook his head mentally asking himself why an idiot like that became one of his best friends and boyfriend for that matter.

"Whatever, baby." Kiba being seated next to Neji brought his hand underneath the desk trailing it up his boyfriend's legs before resting it on his thighs.

Naruto glared at the grinning Kiba half-heartedly before resuming his previous task of sleeping. After being friends with his friend he liked to call 'dog mutt' for over ten years, he learned to cope with his insanities and pride at the size of his penis. What he couldn't take though that caused him to shout out in the middle of homeroom was the perverted new student that transferred to the school a few months ago.

"Don't tease him Kiba, we all already knew he was dick-less; that's why he's going to be my favourite uke someday." The blonde hated it the most when the wannabe Sasuke look-alike smiled that fake-ass smile. Even though his head was still plastered to the desk, he could practically feel _the smile _on his friend's face.

"Shut up Sai." Naruto hadn't heard Sasuke sticking up for him or seen the other raven glaring with the wrath of a thousand suns for he had already started yelling at the top of his lungs.

"Shut the fuck up Sai. How many times have I got to keep telling you this _shit,_ I don't _like_ you _that _way and I'd appreciate it if you stopped making comments about my _penis _or as you call it _'man-gina' _because it's actually of pretty _reasonable_ size. I'd show you but then you'd just be a complete shit faced pervert." The blonde was fuming at his raven haired friend as the student continued to smile like he hadn't said anything wrong.

"You think it's of _'reasonable size' _because you're so short and _skinny_ **dick-less**."

"Aaaargh! FUCK YOU SAI!!" The blonde would have continued his ranting about how much of a 'fuck-face' his newest friend was had Kakashi not stepped in.

"I'm not going to repeat myself. You guys at the back; keep the noise down or I'll make you all watch reruns of 'Barney the Child Molester.'" Everyone in the room fell silent. Kakashi smirked underneath his turtleneck sweater. It was good to be such a sardonic bastard.

**_:: ::_**

"Tsunade baa-chan," a small vein in the woman's forehead that went unnoticed by the other occupant in the room twitched as the sandy blonde cracked her knuckles glaring furiously at her guest as he continued talking seemingly unaffected by her icy, chocolate brown stare. "Can you please do the physical health check today, I don't really feel like explaining my bruises, I almost ended up in therapy when Shizune saw the bruises for the first time." The busty, blonde woman rested her head on her intertwined fingers not wanting a repeat of the awkward explanation that followed Naruto's secret being revealed. Besides being the principal of the prestigious Konoha Academy, Lady Tsunade was also a very well respected and accomplished doctor; managing the local hospital while joggling her principal's job; which on it's own was quite a task if you had bratty students like the one standing before her. She had mainly been responsible for Naruto's appeal letter and even though he passed the interview with flying colours and exceptional grades, the blond was ternally grateful to the woman he saw as a grandma for giving him the opportunity to exploit his talents and special skills for the school was surely only meant for the insanely rich and famous. More importantly, she was also one of the doctors that was on duty and took care of Naruto after his dad had died and his mom had gone berserk. She believed the redheaded woman too mentally unstable to have the ability to care for her child. So in turn; she thought it fair to check up on the boy once in a while. The first time she came across the bruises, she had wanted to get Naruto the hell away from that crazy woman and put her where she belonged, in a mental institute. The blond had protested over and over again claiming that he needed to care for his mother even though she would rather have him dead. It crushed Tsunade's heart every time Naruto got that guilty look on his face and felt like he deserved every punishment his mother had to offer.

"Naruto, what happened this time?" With the look on his personal doctor's and principal's face, Naruto contemplated if telling the truth would be such a good idea. He looked around the large, spacious room taking in the heavy red curtains that were pushed to the side allowing the little bit of sunlight to shine into the already artificially lit room.

The blonde continued to look around the large office, his interest being peaked after his cerulean orbs landed on the relatively large fish tank. He continued to scan the big oceanic box, scouting out the different exotic fishes surviving in the aquarium.

A loud cough from the woman told him he had pushed his time and he'd better start talking _or else_. With Tsunade, Naruto never dared disobey her in order to find out the meaning of '_or else.'_ Though he thoroughly enjoyed making her life miserable by calling her old which she in fact was, but being such a respected doctor came with its perks making the fifty-four years old woman look like she was in her early twenties.

"It wasn't that bad, I just came in late because of the blizzard and she got slightly angry." The blonde shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly hoping that the woman he trusted with his life would take the explanation and leave it at that.

Tsunade seemed to contemplate whether pushing the issue or not and fixated herself on examining the boy's features.

"Stupid brat. I swear if she steps out of line like with those," she pointed at the scars running along his cheeks "I'll personally drag her abusive ass to a mental institute." Naruto agreed not finding it in him to argue with the woman when her usually beautiful, chocolate brown, eyes were flashing so dangerously.

"Yes baa-chan, so are you going to do my check-up then and can I keep my boxers? Oh and when you're done, can you tell Sai that my penis isn't all that small." The woman looked at him curiously. A moment of silence fell upon the room and its two occupants causing the busty woman to sigh in exasperation while she rubbed her temples soothingly preparing to dull the aches that was sure to come.

"Brat." She walked to the small medical office attached to her office. It used to be a large bathroom but after Naruto got accepted into the school, she had in remodelled in case of an emergency, like this one.

To say Lady Tsunade had taken the bruises terribly would have been the understatement of the century. She had smashed a few chairs in the medical room, cracked a mirror, threaten Naruto's mother who wasn't even present at that moment in time and broken her beautifully crafted mahogany table in half. The blonde's mind drifted to her angry words directed towards his mother and felt his heart constricting with pain. It wasn't her ault that she had become like this; she wasn't supposed to be like this. It was all his fault by taking the man she loved away from her...

_**:: ::**_

A spoon of mashed potatoes flew at his face snapping him from his inner battles. He scowled fiercely as the spoon fell, its contents still stuck to his forehead.

"Kiba, what the hell did you do that for?" His friends except Shikamaru who wasn't really paying attention were all nodding their heads causing him to wonder what he'd done wrong.

"Dude, I've been talking to you for like ten minutes and you haven't even blinked. It's seriously freaking me out man. I'm worried about you and it's not just me." For the first time since arriving atop the roof for their one hour lunch break, Naruto finally looked at his friend's features and Kiba was indeed right because all their faces were set in 'concern mode' even Sasuke who normally said he didn't give a damn about shit. When it came to Naruto's wellbeing, the raven always dropped his unfeeling, unemotional stoic mask in order to be there for his best friend.

Naruto gulped when Sasuke took a steady step towards him. He had purposely chosen not to sit besides the raven as the teen was sure to coax the truth out of him. He broke eye contact as the youngest Uchiha stepped closer and closer until he stood before him. Naruto expected a punch and closed his eyes in anticipation. Sasuke and Naruto always solved their problems with a good fist-fight which usually lead to someone bleeding excessively from a broken nose or cracked jaw. After what felt like several minutes of anticipation and still yet to receive any abuse to his face, Naruto finally dared open his eyes and tripped backwards at the close proximity between him and his best friend.

The blonde was surprised that he hadn't been able to feel Sasuke's breath on his face for they were only inches apart. As Naruto backed against the wall, Sasuke dropped his body weight on the blonde causing their bodies to press against each other against the hard, brick surface. The raven slowly brought his fingers up tilting Naruto's chin, forcing the blonde to look at his eyes. Cerulean clashed with onyx before briefly disappearing under fluttering eyelashes. Naruto eyes snapped back open as he felt insanely soft lips press uncertainly yet demandingly against his own. Sasuke brought his hand to feel Naruto's scarred cheek as he stroked long, slender fingers along the sensitive lines. The blonde was shocked and hadn't responded to the kiss in any, way, shape or form, he hadn't pulled away, nor had he yelled at his friend but he also hadn't kissed back. The fact that he was just standing there grated on Sasuke's nerves and he bit Naruto's bottom lip urgently, coaxing the blonde to open his mouth so that his pink organ could slide into that warm cavern he had often had fantasies off. He had planned for the kiss to be soft and tender but now that Naruto wasn't getting the message, the kiss-initiator continued to nibble on the boy's bottom lip turning the lip-lock rough, needy and demanding. Finally getting the hint, the blonde closed his eyes and succumbed to the advanced of his best friend.

The group of friends watched with amusement as Sasuke and Naruto made out against the brick wall, pants, moans and groans escaping the confines of their throats and being swallowed whole by the other. Everyone in the group had seen it coming and hadn't really been surprised when Sasuke pushed himself onto the blonde. Neji and Kiba got so turned on that they had started their own make-out session in the corner with Sakura and Ino squealing and taking pictures for their 'fan-girl HQ' Ino had decided to leave Hinata in the library in order to get some food. The young Hyuuga heir often had something prepared from home. Shikamaru swallowed his bite of homemade sandwich (homemade by Chouji because his mother believed he was old enough to make his own packed lunch) in order to mutter a "too troublesome" at his friend's stupidity before carrying on with his lunch time meal.

After several minutes of biting and licking and sucking on each other's faces, Naruto and Sasuke finally pulled apart, a trail of saliva still connecting them as they panted out their need for oxygen.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened between you and that _thing_ you call _'mother'_ or would you rather use that tongue for something else?" The raven said, an obvious smirk playing on his lips as he continued to stroke Naruto's burning cheeks with much more affection than the blonde's mother had ever been able to muster.

"Stupid bastard, well I came home later than I was supposed to yesterday-" Naruto started but was immediately cut off by Kiba. He and Neji stopped making out when it looked like their 'Blondie' was going to tell them what was going on in his life.

"Of course you got home late, the roads were terrible and I'm sure the busses were late too."

"The busses weren't riding because of the weather yesterday. Naruto don't tell me you walked home in that terrible blizzard-" Sakura this time was the one to get cut off as Naruto cleared his voice in an awkward manner and asked for their cooperation.

"Do you want to know what happened or not?" He snapped but he didn't mean it to sound irritated or annoyed, it was just that he didn't feel comfortable talking about his personal life like that. "I did walk home in the blizzard but it wasn't uh that bad. I just walked... slowly, I'm sure I could have walked faster if I really tried. But yeah carrying on... I was late, about twenty-five minutes." Naruto told his friends what happened between him and his mother and how he hadn't meant to come home late. He just didn't want to risk the possibility of getting stranded somewhere in the blizzard. The busses weren't driving because of the extreme weather conditions which lead to him walking in the snow. As he told them what his mother did, he stopped once in a while to glance and their facial expressions. In between each sentence; he kept adding how it wasn't his mother's fault and that next time he should just walk faster instead of letting his mind travel the way it had. He watched as their faces flickered from shock, to anger, to sorrow and eventually hate and pity. He didn't want anybody to hate his mother because in the end, it was his entire fault that the man she loved so dearly ended up six feet under and he hated that people showed him pity. Sure his situation at home was unethical for any child to live in but his dad had raised him to be loud and proud and it wasn't as if he was dying. He didn't need their pity.

"How the fuck can you say this shit is your fault?" Naruto was surprised that even Shino sounded so angry. The bug-lover usually showed less emotion than Sasuke. Everyone in the group fell silent as said raven let an animalistic growl escape his throat.

"Let me see it." The blonde didn't have to think twice to know what the raven was talking about and slowly, consciously and unsteadily rode up his t-shirt exposing angry red scratch marks and deep blue and purple bruises some of them turning a sickly green colour. The reaction within the group varied with each person. Ino and Sakura squealed and instantly snapped their eyes closed. Even Shikamaru had let out some form of discomfort as he saw the blemishes that tainted that perfectly tanned body. Kiba, always being the comedic dog mutt he was, tried to lighten up the situation by making a joke out of the conversation. It ended up being as awkward as it sounded. He eventually settled on doing like his boyfriend and examining the bruises and angry red scratches. Sakura eventually found her courage and went to examine the injuries too. If she was to become Lady Tsunade's apprentice, she would have to suck it up for she would eventually have to face injuries far worse than this that could be fatal to a human's life.

Between all the attentions he was receiving from his friends, Naruto noticed that a certain person who had just kissed him hadn't spoken up since he started talking and the fact started to make the blond feel even more insecure. He could usually tell what Sasuke was thinking but at this moment, his eyes looked dull, unresponsive and void of any positive emotion. He portrayed the perfect stone-faced Uchiha. His other friends seemed to all have noticed the raven's lack of speech because they all stopped their ministrations and examinations on Naruto's body in order to let the blonde make his way over to the youngest Uchiha.

"Sasuke..." No reply.

"Sasuke?" Naruto was starting to get confused at Sasuke's silence. He couldn't think of why the raven wasn't answering him. Already feeling insecure, the blonde stepped backwards, away from his best friend. It wasn't like he could blame Sasuke, who would want a friend with such a disturbing life, always needing comforting even though he'd never willingly ask for it. His gaze alternated from the raven to the solid ground before finally settling back upon his friend.

"Do you hate me now Sasuke?" He whispered in such a soft, heartbroken voice that he wasn't even sure Sasuke had heard it. His question however hadn't gone unnoticed and the word 'hate' seemed to snap something within the mechanism of the raven's brain because he was instantly behind the blonde who had already made his way towards the roof door.

Naruto's breath hitched as he felt strong, firm but slender arms wrap protectively around his waist from behind. He closed his eyes and leaned into the touch as Sasuke's voice ghosted behind his ear, the warm air tickling his sensitive lobe.

"Naruto, I swear, I could never hate you._ Never,_ _**ever**_! You mean way too much to me. Remember, we've been best friends since we were four since that day we met at the docks. Since we entered the academy together, I always wanted to be something more because as far as I know, I've always loved you. I love the way you always wear that breathtaking smile even when the clouds couldn't possibly be any greyer. Naruto, I love you with all my heart so will you please be my boyfriend?" Though not visible in his physical appearance, Sasuke felt very insecure about Naruto's presence and was about to pull away when said blonde spun around in his arms, a bright face-splitting grin threatening to rip his face in two.

"Oh my god," All trace of confusion and self-condemnation dissipated into thin air "You talk too much Sasuke, and you always say I run my mouth. Of course I'll be your boyfriend." His grin seemed to be contagious for everyone in their little circle of friends started smiling amongst each other as Sasuke and Naruto shared their own kiss.

"Will you two fucking cut that shit out? You're making me too fucking horney." Sasuke and Naruto both pulled away, panting and smiling as Neji punched Kiba on his arm playfully muttering something along the lines of "why the hell did destiny curse me with such an idiotic boyfriend?" Kiba couldn't stop grinning, his canine-like teeth giving him the sexy look Neji dreamt of every night.

"But you love me right?" Kiba gave a fake cry and pouted like a kicked puppy. Neji rubbed his temples soothingly before tackling his boyfriend to the ground; kissing him hotly and passionately.

Chouji continued eating his chips while Shikamaru fell asleep on his half eaten sandwich. Sai just watched the ordeal with a sad but also amused expression. He was happy for the blond because the forgiving and open-hearted teen had let him into his circle of friend. But he was also sad. He would have to find himself a new potential uke now.

"Ino, you're getting all of this right?" Sakura asked her pale blonde friend all trace of earlier discomfort having vanished with Naruto's shit-faced grin and the concept of Sasuke talking more than Naruto.

The girl nodded enthusiastically stalking around the couple so she could record and take pictures from different angles and corners.

They all groaned when the bell signalled the end of lunch and the beginning of last period. No one asked Naruto how Physical Check-Up went because they were all pretty sure Lady Tsunade would have checked him out because outside their little group, she was the only person who knew about Naruto's circumstances at home, albeit that she, just like the rest of them, wasn't to thrilled with the idea of leaving the blond with the psychopathic woman. What could they do though, It was Naruto's choice and he didn't want to leave his mentally unstable mother.

After school in the parking lot, the group said their goodbye's to one another after repeatedly asking Naruto if he wanted a ride home. The blond respectfully declined their offers, claiming that it was 'such a lovely, sunny day' which it indeed was for this time of year.

"Naruto, I don't care that you've already said 'no,' you're coming home with me tonight." Sasuke left no room for arguments.

"Yeah, Sasuke but I m-ngh" The rest of his sentence was muffled as Sasuke silenced them with his own mouth. He pulled away instantly, giving Naruto a clear look of his hardening features. Just because the raven cared for the wellbeing of his best friend now turned boyfriend, didn't mean that he wouldn't beat the snot out of the blond in order to protect him. It was one of those 'I'm going to help you whether you like it or not' situations.

"There's no arguing with you is there..." the blond started but immediately stopped as a thought of his mother flashed across his mind. "But Sasuke, I can't come with you, my mother needs me to be home at the time she tells me to or I'll be in serious trouble." The blonde started to panic at the sheer thought of repeating the previous night's event. It wasn't the fact that he'd get beat up again, it was the fact that with each beating, his mother seemed to break internally, losing all trace of her former, self-confident self.

"Naruto, calm down; please just calm down and come to my house. My mom could call that thing you call 'mother', see there's no reason for you not to come." Sasuke fixed him with another hard look just to emphasize his point.

"She's not a thing." He replied with his own glare. People who knew of his predicaments, being his friends and Lady Tsunade always wondered why the blond always stood up for the abusive woman. "She acts like one." Was Sasuke's casual retort.

"But-"

"No butts or I'll just take it as an invitation to take yours." The hard look disappeared and his trademark devilish smirk crept its way back into his lips. Naruto sighed and looked at the ground still not sure about the idea. Sasuke wrapped an arm around him and pressed a soothing kiss to his temple.

"I'll never let you get hurt anymore okay, don't be scared anymore." Naruto knew that was a promise the raven wouldn't be able to keep but the assuring arm around the waist eased some of the pressure on his shoulders and he found himself caving to the raven's advances.

_**:: ::**_

The drive home was anything but silent. After their little make-out session on the hood of Sasuke's black doge-viper, they had random conversations about how neither saw through the other's emotions seeing as they've always been inseparably close to each other.

"In all fairness, you not known as the 'stoic ice-princess' for nothing." Naruto said smiling knowing that the raven would catch up on his mistake.

"'Ice-prince' idiot, and you know other than our little group and Lady Tsunade since she helps you so much, the rest of the school can eat shit... Besides, they don't know me the way you do." Sasuke's retort came faster than the blonde expected. Seeing the defeated look on Naruto's now relaxed features, the youngest Uchiha heir smirked, his eyes flickering from the rather ghostly road to his gorgeous sun-kissed boyfriend.

"When did you start talking so much asshole?Naruto was just joking so he didn't and couldn't comprehend the effects his words had on the raven without said male defying them.

"When you thought me how to feel stupid." A husky laughter erputed within the car as Naruto exclaimed the cheesiness in Sasuke's confession. All of a sudden the car jerked to a stop and the raven felt the need to add to his previous statement though it was quite amusing to see the loving gaze in Naruto's eyes, dansing underneath the contained amusement. "By the way, I always talk, you just talk more, and louder so you never hear me!" Before the blond had time to retort to the teasing comment, Sasuke placed a chaste kiss on Naruto's soft, quivering lips. As soon as they had come, they'd faded away and Naruto was left staring at the spot Sasuke had just occupied in the car.

"Are you coming idiot?" The blond hadn't even realised when they'd reach the house. Sasuke had told him they moved house a year ago and he hadn't ever been to the new one before so the blonde had no idea what to expect. As he finally got out of the door, his breath hitched and he stared with wild amazement at the huge mansion. It was probably twice the size of the old one and that was already at least five times the size of the town house they lived at previously before his mom couldn't afford it anymore and they moved into the rundown apartment. The Uchiha's definitely weren't the richest family in the 'Far-East' for nothing.

"Dobe, stop staring and hurry up." Naruto mentally slapped himself before quietly closing the car door. He looked around spotting Sasuke standing just outside an elegant looking white door, a well dressed butler greeting him as he collected his bag.

The blond was amazed that Sasuke actually had a butler... His thoughts trailed as it finally dawned on him that the raven had already reached the door.

"You could have waited asshole." He whispered to himself not wanting to make a scene in front of Sasuke's parents just in case they were home as he made his way closer towards his boyfriend.

"Your house... more like mansion is freaking huge bastard!" He exclaimed as he stepped past the butler, insisting that he could carry his own bag.

Sasuke muttered something under his breath leading the blond up the flights of stairs towards his bedroom.

"Come again Sasuke."

"Nothing." Naruto shrugged but he could have sworn that the raven just said something along the lines of "move in then."

If any other person had walked into the raven's room, they would have been surprised because everyone knew Sasuke as the brooding, scowling type and expected him to live as such; locking himself in a black, velvety room where everything had a place and everything was in its place but not Naruto, he actually knew Sasuke's favourite colour was blue and wasn't actually surprised to see white painted walls with a dark blue King sized bed and dark navy plush carpets. Everything was disorganised as Sasuke absolutely loathed being a neat freak which just showed how much the students in school actually knew him.

"Make yourself comfortable while I tell mom to call that thing" a loud, unnecessary cough made him rethink what he was going to say. "Okay, okay, Sheesh, I'll tell my mom to call you _mother,_ I'm sure she'll be working on dinner." The raven said hurriedly before rushing down the stairs. He looked into the other hallway not spotting his perverted brother before walking down the stairs. His older brother always had the habit of doing the most indecent things in front of his friends. Sakura, Hinata and Ino excluded because Itachi was exclusively **_gay. _**With any luck, his brother was busy on a new movie project and wouldn't be home for a couple of moths, but you never knew with Itachi so it couldn't help to be wary.

"Hey sweetie, I heard you come in... You have company? Don't worry, Itachi's not home." He let out a sigh of relief as he explained to his mom that Naruto would be staying for the night and politely asked his mother to get in touch with Mrs Uzumaki.

"Oh sweetie, where's Naruto been all these years, I've hardly seen him around the house. Tell him I'll make something special for dinner and I'll call his mom right now." She kissed his forehead before scurrying to the kitchen where they also had a cordless phone. It had been a while since she last called the Uzumaki household so it took her a while to recall the number from memory. When she finally got it, it only rang once before someone picked up the line.

"Hello, Mrs Uzumaki?" Mikoto sounded polite and sincere. She hadn't seen Naruto around the house in four years and she'd figured the blonde's mom needed her son after she'd lost her husband.

"Miss Uzumaki here, can I help you?!" She didn't expect that, she expected Kushino to at least recognise her voice. They had had plenty of summers together, shopping, barbeques and the pleasure they took in babysitting the kid when the Uzumaki's had moved to Konoha.

"Yes, it Uchiha Mikoto, Sasuke's mother, I'm just trying to call and tell you that Naruto is spending the night with Sasuke if you're okay with it." Kushino really wasn't okay with it. She wanted Naruto there now so that she could beat him to a pulp for being late but she would have her fun later.

"Oh Mikoto dear, very nice to hear from you, yes of course he can, just tell him I'll be waiting for him tomorrow, since it's a weekend he can sleep out before coming back." She sneered to herself, her features hardening, so Naruto thought he could get away from her that easily, that bastard child had another thing coming.

"Thank you Kushino, we should arrange to meet each other some time, it's been a while." Mikoto was happy with the acceptance and thanked the woman who'd already dropped the phone, successfully halting her suggestions in spending more time together.

'Strange' Mikoto thought, her brows furrowing, lots of years of Uchiha practice and her face restored itself back to its original beauty by the time she'd reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Boys, Naruto's mom said it'll be fine, she'll be waiting for him when he gets back." She had no idea what that meant and didn't give it much thought as she went back to start preparing dinner whilst Naruto stood frozen in place as he heard the words spoken out of her pale pink lips.

"Sasuke, she's going to kill me, I knew I shouldn't have come here, damnit, damnit, damnit all to fucking hell." He was beyond panic, hysterical; he was hyperventilating and frantically trying to get to the door. Sasuke acted quickly, pressing his chest against Naruto back, his pale hands over the tan ones that were visibly shaking on the handle. Pressing a soothing kiss and the crook of Naruto's neck, he trailed butterfly kisses finally stopping at his destination; he whispered sweet nothings into the blonde's ear trying to get his frantic boyfriend to calm down.

"Naruto, it's going to be alright, you trust me don't you, I said I'd never let her or anyone else for that matter ever harm you again so please just relax and stay with me. I love you." It was a good thing Sasuke's chest was holding him in place because Naruto felt that if the raven left at that moment in time, he'd probably just plop to the floor, he was mentally exhausted and finally slid his eyes closed pressing his full weight against Sasuke. Said raven got the hint but instead of allowing Naruto to walk to the bed like he wanted to, the Uchiha heir easily swept him of his feet, carrying him bridal style before softly resting him on the dark blue comforter.

It was still dark when heavy black lashes fluttered open revealing a deeper shade of blue in the light of the luminescent moon. Azure gaze flickered around the room before a sense of panic rose within the blonde. This wasn't his bed. This wasn't his room. This wasn't his godforsaken house. Naruto nearly jumped at the realisation. His body jerked backwards and he finally took notice of the hand draped around his waist, soft pale features illuminated by the otherworldly light outside.

"Sasuke..." Memories of the previous day flashed within his head and he slowly relaxed back into the bed. A part of him wanting to stay there for the rest of his life and another wanting to escape, go home to his mother and beg for forgiveness and make sure she took her medicine. He settled for the former and focussed on clearing his rampaging thoughts by staring affectionately at the other occupant. Mesmerised by Sasuke's beauty, Naruto leaned forward, gently pressing soft lips upon Sasuke's. The blond smiled at the other occupant.

"I know you're not sleeping bastard." His accusation was justified as a visible eye cracked open feigning nonchalance. However, instead of letting the blond pull away like he wanted to, the raven forced himself up, following Naruto's path and pressing their lips back together. More demanding, not a quick touch of lips like the previous one. Naruto made a face into the kiss and Sasuke pulled away feeling slightly dazed.

"Why did you stop?" He really wanted to carry on. It wasn't everyday he woke up to getting kissed by the guy that stole his heart. All musing within his head stopped as said heart-stealer gave him another disgusted look.

"Jeez perverted asshole, morning breath, control your hormones until we've at least brushed." Though Naruto was attempting to be scolding the raven, he couldn't help the large grin that graced his features as he regarded his boyfriend.

"Tsk, idiot." The blonde didn't retaliate as another firm, demanding kiss was placed upon his eagerly anticipating lips. A slick organ demanded entrance as Sasuke continued sucking on Naruto's bottom lip. Access what granted and the blonde met Sasuke halfway there, tongues battling for dominance, indecent moans of pleasure escaping the confines of their throats only to be swallowed by the other. This was something they'd both wanted. Someone to wake up next to, with all the affection a fragile human heart could contain.

A rumbling sound caused Sasuke and Naruto to pull apart panting, the later blushing but not from the intensity of their lip-lock.

"What the fuck was that?" Sasuke gaped at the blonde who shrugged nervously, hands rubbing the hairs on the back of his neck.

"Don't give me that look bastard, I didn't eat yesterday and well, I'm hungry and I had dreams of your mom's cooking." Sasuke's face dropped for an instant before a small smile tugged at his lips.

"Tch figures, here I thought you were having a nice wet dream about us only to find out that you were drooling all over my pillow for a bowl of my mom's ramen." Sasuke scoffed at his boyfriend, portraying the perfect picture of hurt and neglect.

"Quit your sulking Uchiha, I only like food more than you when I'm hungry so give me some." Before Sasuke could reply, Naruto quickly added. "By some I seriously mean some food."

He found great pleasure in the way Sasuke's face dropped and voiced his emotions by laughing and taunting the teen.

"Haha, who would have known you were such a gay spring bunny?" The rest of his laughter was muffled as a satin-covered pillow collided with his face successfully suffocating the mocking words that were sure to follow his hysterical laughter.

* * *

Breakfast at the Uchiha's was a damn near disaster, Sasuke continued his sulking still believing Naruto appreciated food more than his love. The drama only continued when Itachi stumbled drunkenly through the kitchen door, his sex-seeking eyes immediately setting on the blonde and his naked chest. It was fair to say Sasuke wasn't pleased with the turn of events.

"I can't believe he touched you like that, while I was there!" Sasuke was still fuming if the white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel was any indication.

Naruto sniggered to himself before thinking it fit to reply his boyfriend when the iron grip wasn't loosening with his laughter.

"Well he won't be doing it again anytime soon and I'll remember to wear a shirt in his presence." He finally managed to force out through his laughter.

"Damn right he won't!" A face-splitting grin crept its was into his face as he thought back to Sasuke sucking Itachi a good few. The older Uchiha was helpless in his drunken haze as Sasuke kicked him quite painfully on his baby-makers.

All quarrels were settled by the time Sasuke's dodge-viper pulled into the parking space in front of Naruto's apartment. The air in the car was suffocating and Sasuke could feel the tension emanating from the blonde as he stared unblinkingly at the innocent looking red door.

"Naruto, you know you don't have to go back there." Naruto stared questioningly at Sasuke, momentarily tearing his vision from the uninviting looking house.

"What d'you mean I 'don't have to go back there?' Where am I going to live; besides if I leave, who's going to make sure my mom takes all her medicines? She could fall seriously ill without them." The blond looked a little sceptical giving the raven one of those looks that clearly said 'why would you even suggest something like that asshole?' Sasuke replied the look with one of his own feeling angry that he couldn't talk sense to the dense idiot beside him. He'd tried giving Naruto hints since he set foot in the house yesterday but the teen just couldn't get a fucking hint. If he was going to be like that, Sasuke might as well spell it out for him.

"You could live with me stupid, it's not like we're short on rooms and my mom said your mom was acting weird on the phone so she won't mind you staying with us. She really likes you and she missed 'having little Naru-chan around the house.'" Sasuke almost looked desperate. Almost. The raven was trying to hold some of his pride. He always got what he wanted but Naruto wasn't some possession and he really wanted the blond to have a saying in the matter even though he'd rather have him close where he could keep an eye on him and protect him if the situation should ever rise. In the end, it was Naruto's decision _alone_. His life.

The blond stared long and hard at Sasuke, unconsciously prolonging his meeting with his mother. The woman must be furious. She knew he was outside the apartment. Naruto breathed a heavy sigh inching his head closer towards Sasuke's. The raven did the same and their foreheads pressed against each other, eyes locking; charcoal and azure orbs clashing. The blonde smiled reassuringly, something about Sasuke's presence calming him down.

"You're not going to come live with me are you?" Sasuke inquired; warm breath fogging in front of Naruto's vision. The blond gave a sad smile closing the small distance between them. Their lips connected instantly, a soft press of lips against each other. Sasuke's eager tongue came out to explore and licked Naruto's bottom lip sucking on the plumpness before coaxing the blond to open his mouth and meet him halfway. They united together in the car forgetting the horrors that awaited Naruto in the form of a grieving mother. The snow picked up outside and the teens finally pulled away from each other. They stared at one another for a while before Naruto smiled that heartbreaking sad smile again as he opened the door.

"Maybe someday Sasuke, I'd love that." His eyes shimmered with love and affection as he closed the door behind him. Sasuke watched through the frost-covered windows as the blonde made his way up the stairs lingering by the door before finally stepping through. He wanted to go up there, know what was going to happen to his blond boyfriend. He should have more power than this. More power to protect the boy he loved from getting abused in such an inhumanely way. He tried convincing himself that this was what Naruto wanted. He chanted it over and over in his head, repeating those words that sounded so fake and broken even to his own ears. 'This is what Naruto wants. _This is what __Naruto __wants._'

He heard a crash...

Fear and concern consumed the raven and before he knew what was happening, he was rapidly climbing up the stairs, jumping them two to three at a time. He burst through the door, the sight that greeted him stopping him dead in his tracks. What ever insult his raging brain was planning to throw at the woman instantly died on his lips as he watched the blond slide limply down the wall, a trail of blood staining the path on the concrete surface. Crimson soaked into his long, unruly golden locks while azure eyes became dull and unfocussed as they struggled to stare at the figure rapidly making their way towards them.

Sasuke immediately crouched in Naruto's line of vision, calling his father on speed dial. His fingers were shaking as he waited for the leader of the clan to pick up at the office. Five rings later and his dad's assistant, a fine red-headed woman picked up the phone.

"Hey Sasuke-kun, why are you calling at-" She was abruptly cut off by a very unusually frantic Uchiha.

"Not now Karin, put me on to my dad now."

"Is something the matter Sasuke-"

"Karin, NOW!" The urgency in his words allowed her to quickly direct the call to the main office where Fugaku was often found doing paperwork when he wasn't tailing the leading Yakuza bosses.

"Mr Uchiha, your son is on the line and he seems to be in a panic!" Sasuke didn't even give his father the chance to question his behaviour as he started barking down the phone while trying to keep Naruto awake at the same time, running his free hand up and down the blonds' arm.

"Dad, I need an ambulance at Naruto's house, immediately!" He couldn't keep the panic out of his voice. Uchiha's were supposed to remain calm but this was fucking _Naruto_ he was talking about. You just don't remain composed in a situation involving the blond.

"Sasuke, calm down. What's the situation-"

His patience was wearing thin and Naruto wouldn't stop bleeding. Gods. The crimson flow was soaking into everything.

"Dad, not now. Naruto won't stop bleeding. Just hurry. Please!" He hung up after that, cutting his dad's opportunity to ask any more irrelevant questions. Uchiha Fugaku knew the location of Naruto's apartment and even if he didn't, he could track it with the chip he put in all of his family's mobile phones.

Sasuke frantically took of his coat, pressing the black material against the back of Naruto's head attempting to stop the blood. Fortunately his technique seemed to work and he thanked the heavens when Naruto eyes slowly fluttered open though he knew it wouldn't last long unless the ambulance arrived soon.

An angry shriek snapped him from his worried, confused daze and he stared around seeing the 'psycho woman' running towards him with a knife in hand. His mind registered the sirens in the distance and he did the only reasonable thing that came to mind. Barely dodging the slash that would have definitely scarred his face, he punched the woman, sending her lithe form crashing into the ugly green couch in the living room. The knife fell with a dull thud to the ground as she groaned and finally fell out of consciousness. Not a minute later Fugaku appeared, walking past the open door before immediately stepping back. It wasn't hard tracking the street but he wasn't sure which of the doors belonged to his son's 'special friend'. His wife never failed to give him extra updates on his son's love-lives. Putting that thought aside, he hurriedly walked towards his son and the slowly dying boy.

Sasuke, grateful that he hadn't had time to close the door upon entering hurriedly ushered his father towards him, relieved when he saw the stretcher tailing the man.

"Sasuke what happened?" His dad looked worriedly at Naruto. The boy had once been a really important part of their own family. Though Fugaku was at first reluctant at accepting him because of his obvious lack of dignity and standards, he had quickly grown accustomed to his rash yet friendly and loving behaviour. Being Yondaime's son and everything also helped in improving his judgement of the boy. Sasuke watched with a hawk's gaze as his blond was carefully put on the stretcher. He laced their hands together walking out with the paramedics leaving his father to follow him unsurely and more than a little confused.

"Dad, you need to arrest her, she's been abusing him for years and he didn't want to tell anyone." His father called back-up to come for the woman. She could be interrogated later on the slight chance his son was correct and wasn't making scenarios up in his frenzied state.

* * *

The silence in the waiting room was ironically deafening. To the raven's right was his solemn mother, worriedly looking at the brightly lit Red Cross hanging above the white double doors. The gang, like Sasuke, were waiting anxiously for something to happen quickly so they could see their precious blond. Kiba for the first time in his life was entirely still except once in a while petting Akamaru who though was a dog could feel the misery emanating from his owner and everyone else around him. Fugaku had gone back to the station after interrogating his son and asking every little detail he knew of Naruto's living circumstances. The raven was more than willing to comply and answer all the questions, however personal they may be, if his words and the bruises on Naruto's body led to the mentally unstable woman being locked up where she belonged whether it be prison or a mental institute.

The dimming of the bright cross snapped everyone's attention back towards the white double doors and seemed to animate the life within them because within the second, the entire gang was on their feet throwing random questions at Tsunade.

"Lady Tsunade, could you please inform us of dear Naruto's state?" Sasuke's mother was polite and patient as ever. She was about the only one dealing with formalities because everyone else seemed to have forgotten that little thing called common decency.

"How's Blondie doing Tsunade?" Kiba urged, Akamaru piping in agreeing with his owner.

"When can we see him?"

"Let me see him now!"

"Tsunade!"

"So troublesome..."

The blonde woman sighed, soothingly rubbing her index finger and thumb to her temple desperately trying to subdued the migraine that was sure to come if these brats didn´t calm down.

"Shut up brats and let me do my job, you'll see him in due time." Tsunade was surprised she wasn't strangling the dog mutt for bringing his other half into her hospital. She needed to focus on the task at hand; running a private school and a hospital was taking its toll on the busty woman.

"He lost a lot of blood, it's a good thing the ambulance arrived when it did otherwise the situation could have proven more complicated."

Sasuke tuned the woman out when she started talking about the multiple transfusions the blond had to go through and also the multiple stitches. He didn't care about any of the details. He'd seen how gruesome they were first hand. Right now, all he wanted was to see his Naruto.

_**:: ::**_

The young Uchiha stared out through the absurdly clean window. After Tsunade was satisfied with the room the blond had been moved to and many complaints from his end, the busty woman finally took pity on him and let him see his boyfriend.

He watched the steady rise and fall of Naruto's chest unable to stand outside much longer. Deliberately disobeying Lady Tsunade's orders (which she really should have seen coming), Sasuke pushed the dull white door open; stepping into the equally white room.

"Naruto" He whispered finally sitting in the empty stool and taking the blond's tan hands within his own. Not expecting to receive an answer from the sleeping teen, Sasuke drew in a shocked breath when a raspy voice caused him to snap his head up in the room's other occupant's direction. He sucked in a shaky breath as he stared up at vibrant; not in the least dulled sapphire eyes.

"Sasuke, what took... you so damn long... to walk in? Jeez you should... know by now... never to listen to... granny." He coughed slightly and gave his worried boyfriend a weak smile. His eyes grew wide for a fraction of a second before returning back to normal when soft, uncertain lips pressed firmly against his slightly chapped once.

"Pervert, still can't... keep your hands of me." The blond was still having difficulty using his voice. Sighing slightly, Sasuke allowed a hollow chuckle to escape his throat before stopping altogether and turning to give his boyfriend a very serious look.

"Naruto, how the hell could you just stand there and let her do that shit to you? Jesus, how much of a freaking idiot could you possibly be?" Naruto's face physically dropped as his frantic boyfriend continued his rant about how people; namely Naruto, should put their foot down once in a while and stop letting other people (his mother), push them around. Before he could lose himself to wallowing in uncontained grief, Naruto felt himself being enveloped in a bone crushing hug; a slightly pointy nose rubbing into his soft golden locks. The blond felt something wet run into his hair; soaking the locks and was surprised when he heard a disguised sniffle break it's way free from his boyfriend's throat.

"Naruto, you freaking idiot. Damn it, I was so worried about you." The blond smiled inwardly. He'd still had a sense of insecurity thinking the youngest Uchiha was going to break his heart because he didn't want to deal with the complications that came with his life. Naruto realised how stupid he was being and let the happiness he felt inside be reflected on his features.

"Idiot, I love you so much." And it was definite. The blond grinned wider and brought his hands around the raven's neck. Sasuke loved him and he certainly loved him with all he had.

"Tsk bastard... I love you too."

* * *

It had been two weeks since the "incident" and the blond had been residing at the Uchiha resident; Sasuke's parents and Itachi welcoming him with open arms. The later the raven wasn't so thrilled about but Itachi would be going abroad soon enough anyway. He had a new movie coming up.

The teens were startled from the movie they were watching when the phone in the blond's jeans pocket vibrated between them. Uchiha Fugaku had given him a mobile phone when he'd arrived and the blond had sincerely been grateful, giving the stoic man a hug which Mikoto had heartily laughed at.

Quickly picking up the device when he saw the name on caller I.D., Naruto greeted the woman cheerily.

"Hello granny? What's up?" Sasuke stared at the boy besides him; favouring him instead of the movie they had been watching. It didn't matter anyways; he'd seen 'Ghost Busters' a million times over. How hard he tried, he couldn't hear what the woman was saying and Naruto probably hadn't realised he could put the phone on speakers so the Uchiha was forced to listen to a one-sided conversation.

"What d'you mean Tsunade?" The raven perked up at the name, worry evident in his eyes. Naruto never called the woman by her actual name unless something serious was up.

"That doesn't make sense. There's no way something like that happened."

Sasuke's interest was peeked but he feigned ignorance, in case this was something private to the blond.

"Yeah okay, I understand. We'll be there as soon as we can."

Naruto ended the call with an audible click of the 'end button' as he got up from his sitting position. Sasuke stared up expectantly at his boyfriend waiting for an explanation. Naruto shook his head and instead held out a tan hand for Sasuke to take, which the raven did.

**_:: ::_**

Upon arrival, Naruto, trailed by Sasuke, followed the familiar steps up to Tsunade's office. The woman ushered them in and both boys were relatively surprised to see the author and director of the famous 'Yondiame Files,' a secret agent posing as a gifted Art Student; a man filled with mystery. The blonds' movie knowledge had been gradually growing since he arrived at the Uchiha mansion.

Tsunade's sharp eye noticed their expressions and decided to get straight to the point without dragging this out longer than she had to. She was supposed to be running a hospital.

"This hermit here is my brother Jiraiya. As children we grew up separately so we do not share the same memories from childhood. I decided to call him a few days ago and somehow the conversation took a different turn. I decided to talk about how worried I was about a new stupid, bratty patient. Well while we were talking, Jiraiya recognised the name 'Uzumaki' and I learnt a few things about your home life Naruto."

Said blond and Sasuke shared a quick look of confusion before Jiraiya stepped in and decided to spare them the agonisingly long details to his tale. He was going to do like the Americans he had previously lived with and "cut to the chase."

Naruto waited patiently for the man to start, focussing intently on his words; saving all questions for later.

"Well you probably don't recognise me the way I mean brat, because the last time I saw you, your mother was still cleaning poop from your diapers." Jiraiya stopped to focus on the two boys noticing the look of confusion on their faces and underneath the underneath, the look of disgust in Naruto's eyes. When it looked like both teens were however incompetent of speech or just plain adamant to wait it out and listen to his information till the end, he proceeded.

"Well when you were two months old, your mother underwent severe depression and traumatic stress. She died in a vehicle accident on her way to 'Konoha Rehab Clinic' as you once upon a time lived in Small Fire Country; detached from the rest of Fire Country and Konoha."

The boys' eyes widened considerably; Naruto's consequently more than Sasuke's but still both boys remained silent; subconsciously leaning against each other for support and comfort.

"Tsunade, you're a terrible host. Boy's please sit down."

They obeyed silently.

"Before all that happened however, your _'real'_ mother_ 'Kushina' _had a twin sister named Kushino, the woman you have come to learn as your abusive mother." Jiraiya watched again for their ever changing expressions. He had to give it to the boys; they were taking it very maturely which was surprising after what Tsunade had told him about Naruto's childish antics in public. When Sasuke scowled slightly at him, he decided to start talking again scoffing at the youngest Uchiha. And Uchiha's were supposed to be as patient as a rock.

"The thing was Kushino always wanted the affection of your father but his heart had already been won over by her twin. The former, over time grew bitter and cut all ties with her adoring sister, severing all other bonds after hearing of her pregnancy. It is believed that all the lies and slander she spread while pretending to be Kushina were the reasons your mother fell into depression; fed up with the way people treated her behind your back. Even your father couldn't carry the burden away from your mother and she started falling into depression and insanity claiming she never did all the things everyone else claimed her to have done. When your mother died, Kushino came back to the Namikaze household feigning severe hurt and regret to the point she _acted_ like she was falling into depression. Yes it is indeed ironic. I warned your father but his fragile heart didn't want a repeat with what happened to Kushina and his forgiving attitude allowed him to take her in. Her love however was never to be nothing but unrequited as all his remaining affection was bestowed on you; the only thing that kept the deceased Kushina alive in his heart. Kushino's rage and bitterness was then directed at you Naruto; the one element keeping the man she loved away from her."

"If you've ever heard of the 'Yondiame Files,' you'll know that the mysterious actor was none other than 'Minato Namikaze' by you also known as 'Arashi Uzumaki.'

Jiraiya watched the boy's eyes widen considerably before he continued, finally getting to his main point like all his previous information had been irrelevant bonuses.

"As such a famous superstar, though he always changed his appearance in his movies and Television series, your father had a lot of money in his bank account which is to be transferred to his only son. "Namikaze, Uzumaki Naruto." He knew he wouldn't last long without Kushina and before I took to the US, he gave me details to his bank account to give to you once he had passed away. I am sorry that he went so young and you were exposed to such a life filled with hardships."

"I have searched Konoha for years trying to find you not once thinking of the possibility that your father had taken and given to you his wife's maiden-name.

"I was relieved when Tsunade told me about you and if I'm correct, you'll be graduating really soon and you'll also be off to University. That money will pay for your tuition and believe me, you'll have enough of it left to rival little Uchiha here." The man said the last line smirking at the youngest Uchiha.

He waited for Naruto to begin asking the questions that were sure to be floating unanswered in his head since he had finished saying what he'd travelled twelve hours to say.

No ridiculous profanities like he'd expected were thrown at him and only one surprising question came from the blond.

"What happens to my m- uh Kushino now?" Jiraiya, Sasuke and Tsunade noticed the slight hesitation before the boy repeated 'Kushino's' name. They couldn't believe that after all this; Naruto was still contemplating and willing to think of the hateful, spiteful and irrationally jealous woman as 'mother.'

"Tsk idiot, trust that to be the only thing you're worried about." Sasuke scoffed, Tsunade grunted and Jiraiya nodded in agreement. Though they "tsked" the blond multiple times and sighed exasperatedly, all three other occupants of the grand office were sporting similar adoring smiles. Though Jiraiya had had the least contact and influence in the blonds' life, he was pretty sure the boy thought exactly like his father; putting everyone else before himself. This was the Naruto that had grown on them and one had openly come to love with every fibre of his being.

"Well giving the circumstances with what she did and almost did to you if Sasuke hadn't gotten in contact with his father and an ambulance-" Tsunade started and looked at Jiraiya for confirmation to some unspoken question as she carried her verdict on the situation.

"I'd say that she should be held in jail for at least ten years and during that time I will observe her and conduct a few analyses to check the stability of her sanity. The woman can't seriously be sane if she was aware that she was binge drinking on such a regular basis and abusing the son of the man she claimed to love without any shroud regret or remorse." Jiraiya once again nodded is agreement.

"You go home now brat and relax. One more psychology report and Art Project and you're ready for graduation which is just around the corner."

Naruto thanked the woman heartily, crushing his skull in her rather large chest area. Sasuke grunted his displeasure after thirty seconds and the blond grinned stupidly before releasing the woman and giving the hermit a hug of his own promising to ask questions about his birth mother and where he would find her grave.

The man hugged back, grinning oddly like a toad and telling Naruto how much he looked and acted like his father. How proud he was that he'd grown into such a lively, caring and loving young man.

After Naruto had said his goodbyes, Sasuke shook both siblings hand and led the way for his boyfriend. He knew Naruto better than this and knew the blond would get overly excited as soon as they stepped out of the hospital and true to his usual behaviour, the blond walked towards their parking space with a merry bounce in each step.

He was practically skipping by the time they reached Sasuke's obnoxious black dodge viper. Said raven spared a glance at Tsunade and Jiraiya who stood besides the open window. He could practically feel their smirks breaking through the distance between them. The youngest Uchiha found himself sporting a small content smile as him and the blond settled inside his car.

Now would be as good a time as ever to tell the blond that he had enrolled them both into _coincidentally _Naruto's birthplace, 'Small Fire Country Golden University.'

He'd gotten the letter of admission a few days previously and was glad when his father decided to take it upon himself and buy them their brand new and furnished apartment not even ten minutes away from the main campus. Naruto had to agree to come and live with him because he now had nothing binding him to his often horrible memories of Konoha.

* * *

The sun shone brightly in the October afternoon when the boys arrived in front of their apartment. True to it's name, Small Fire Country remained hot even as the seasons came and drifted away to give way to another.

Naruto stepped out of his new midnight blue jaguar, green suitcase in hand. The car had been a graduation present to him from Tsunade and Jiraiya and the blond couldn't get over how much of an impact the two siblings had made on his life. Neji and Kiba had offered to drive Sasuke's Viper to the Campus with most of their luggage, giving the boys the opportunity to have a little road trip of their own with the bare necessities.

The blond drew in a deep breath; taking in the warm country air as he gasped at the beauty of _their_ home.

"Sasuke it's beautiful!" The blond gushed out adoringly and the two floor brick architecture. The raven just smiled at his young lover, memories of their graduation day (3 months ago) flooding his mind. Though Sasuke had been extremely proud of the gang during graduation and the after party was amusing, the raven's mind wandered to the exclusive party him and the blond had had in his room. He'd never forget that day; the first time he claimed his blond and_ two_ entities became _one._

The youngest Uchiha walked over to his lover; black suitcase in hand and grasped tan hands within his own available pale ones. Allowing a small smile to grace his features, he whispered dangerously low into the blonds' ear.

"And it's all ours for the next six years." Sasuke nearly grinned as an idea made its self known in his perverted brain. He carried on seductively, "I think we should christen our beds and maybe the kitchen, then the bathroom."

The blond grinned back walking in front of the raven and wiggling his hips suggestively as he passed his horny boyfriend.

Before the blond could carry on his teasing, Sasuke gripped his waist and dragged him inside their little home.

It was safe to say that it was lucky there wasn't anyone sharing their apartment complex block because no one would have had the means or ability to relax and chill with the loud moans coming from the blond and the raspy grunts coming from the raven_.  
(A/N – I was going to end it there but it was really rushed and no one knew what happened with the rest of the gang and what not. So a little extra information! :D) _

* * *

"I can't believe it's been six years already mom. Graduation party was the best. Sasuke and his dad managed to settle their arguments over Sasuke following the family's path of 'Police officers and agents.' Itachi turned out alright for the most part so he figured if Sasuke was determined he'd be successful too.

Speaking of Sasuke, he won an award for being the top of his History and Languages course. Oh and speaking of successes, guess what mom, your son is officially an artiest. Sasuke and I are travelling to Egypt; him for some hieroglyphs scripts he needs to translate for his expedition and I'm hoping to find some inspiration amongst the beautiful 'Works of Wonder.'"

Naruto rubbed the tombstone affectionately containing the mother he had never consciously knew as he babbled on.

"Jiraiya decided to stick around Konoha for a while and Tsunade handed him the principal's duty of Konoha Academy focussing mind, body and soul on managing her hospital. They're both doing great. The gang split up a while ago with everyone going their own separate ways but once in a while, we still get together to reminisce over past times and make new memories."

"Kiba and Neji got married two months ago." The blonde let out an audible laughter that swept across the graveyard. "I still can't believe that Neji went along with wearing white. It was hilarious. Anyway, Kiba now owns their family's 'Race and Guard Dogs' breeding business while Neji took over 'Hyuuga Corps'; Hinata giving up her position in favour of becoming an author. Shikamaru became the manager and financial consultant to Chouji's multiple restaurant chains. Speaking of Chouji, he married Ino and strangely enough, Shikamaru hooked up with Itachi. Sakura married Lee and now works under Tsunade-granny and Shino, well Shino is still doing what Shino does best with his bugs.

Speaking of the gang, they're probably going to kill us when we return. We kind of forgot to tell them, though I think the bastard is just being a sadist again. You know the Uchiha's really aren't as stone cold as they seem, though sometimes I really wish Sasuke was." Naruto scoffed but a small smile highlighted his already bright features. "The freaking horny pervert."

"Oh well, I've rambled on long enough-" As if on queue, Sasuke's horn blared once more through the cemetery. The blond sighed rubbing his thumb and index finger to his temple, he scoffed. And people called him overly excited and inpatient.

Blue eyes flickered in the direction of the cloudless sky. He spread the daisies he had bought for his mother, Jiraiya claiming they were her favourite and ran his hands along the intricate engravings on the stone.

"Well mom, the bastard is still impatient and we really do need to get to the airport. I suppose I'll see you in a year's time. Goodbye mom, I hope you and dad are having fun together."

At another impatient horn coming from the car, Naruto got up; dusted his knees and walked to his fiancé.

Their wedding was to occur upon their return; legalling sealing their eternal love forever.

* * *

_~Owari!~_

_So yeah, what did you lot think, except for the rushed ending, I really just didn't want to write anymore. Almost ten hours it took me to produce this but I'm glad I did. So yeah drop a comment, reviews are always appreciated! [=_

_Pirate out! ^^_

_P.s. If anyone's got a one-shot they want doing with a favourite couple (Sorry, only write Yaoi, I suppose I could try het as well if it's a reasonable couple!) It doesn't really matter what rating (though T and above suit me best), give a shout out and I'll start working!! (:_

_Ja ne~_

_=D_


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